Published: Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 6:54 p.m.

ORANGE CITY — The City Council here formally reprimanded one of its members over an email controversy three months ago. Now, resident Paul Rasch wants more.

Rasch wants Councilman Tom Abraham recalled.

That's because Abraham refuses to quit or apologize for a string of emails using crude terms and contemplations, such as when he might "soon mate" with a teenage girl whose photo he had taken. Fellow council members, residents and even his own sons have urged Abraham to step down, but he won't.

"That's really kind of sad," Rasch said late last week.

The council voted 6-1 on Aug. 28 to censure Abraham. The council also ordered him to turn in his iPad, as he had used that device to write the emails and send them on his city account. Abraham was the lone no vote.

Abraham, 67, was first elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011, when he defeated Rasch. Last week, when city residents voted for a charter amendment moving municipal elections to even-numbered years, they extended Abraham's term to 2016.

Emails Abraham exchanged with a friend last year included photos of women in public places, anatomical references and jokes, racially insensitive language and, in one case, referred to a neighbor and his 10-year-old as "this man and his daughter stripper." The Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined the emails were not criminal, but described them as "disturbing" and forwarded them to the State Commission on Ethics.

Abraham declined comment on how the ethics commission is proceeding. By law, complaints are typically confidential until the commission determines whether or not there's probable cause for an investigation.

The councilman intends to fight a recall attempt by "a few people sitting on the council or their cronies," he said in a phone interview Friday.

Abraham represents District 3, stretching from the south-central part of the city at U.S. 17-92 to the northwestern border along Interstate 4 and State Road 472. Only voters in that district can sign petitions and take part in any recall election, Rasch said.

He is working on forming a political-action committee to raise money, hiring an attorney (or finding one to work pro-bono) to guide him through the process and forming a recall committee:

Rasch and the committee must gather about 140 signatures on a petition stating the grounds for recalling Abraham — which, based on the City Council's censure, will be misfeasance, a legal act performed wrongfully. He will have 30 days from the first day the petition is circulated. The elections supervisor must then certify the signatures.

Then Abraham will be given an opportunity to respond. Once Abraham makes a written defense, it and the original petition must then be signed again, this time by about 210 voters in the district.

If that hurdle is cleared, there then must be an election asking voters whether or not Abraham should be removed from office.

Rasch said he expects the whole process to take approximately four months.

"Understandably," he said, "it's not easy."

But when asked if he's still determined to work through the challenging process, Rasch said: "Oh, yes."

Abraham believes the effort is a useless exercise bound for failure.

"I have more support (from constituents)," he said. "People greet me and say, 'Tom, we are with you.' " That's what I hear every day."

He said the controversy has taken a toll on him, estranging him from his family and causing him physical anguish and difficulty consuming food. But he said it is his duty to continue serving residents who elected him in 2011.

<p>ORANGE CITY &mdash; The City Council here formally reprimanded one of its members over an email controversy three months ago. Now, resident Paul Rasch wants more. </p><p>Rasch wants Councilman Tom Abraham recalled. </p><p>That's because Abraham refuses to quit or apologize for a string of emails using crude terms and contemplations, such as when he might "soon mate" with a teenage girl whose photo he had taken. Fellow council members, residents and even his own sons have urged Abraham to step down, but he won't. </p><p>"That's really kind of sad," Rasch said late last week. </p><p>The council voted 6-1 on Aug. 28 to censure Abraham. The council also ordered him to turn in his iPad, as he had used that device to write the emails and send them on his city account. Abraham was the lone no vote. </p><p>Abraham, 67, was first elected in 2007 and re-elected in 2011, when he defeated Rasch. Last week, when city residents voted for a charter amendment moving municipal elections to even-numbered years, they extended Abraham's term to 2016. </p><p>Emails Abraham exchanged with a friend last year included photos of women in public places, anatomical references and jokes, racially insensitive language and, in one case, referred to a neighbor and his 10-year-old as "this man and his daughter stripper." The Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined the emails were not criminal, but described them as "disturbing" and forwarded them to the State Commission on Ethics. </p><p>Abraham declined comment on how the ethics commission is proceeding. By law, complaints are typically confidential until the commission determines whether or not there's probable cause for an investigation. </p><p>The councilman intends to fight a recall attempt by "a few people sitting on the council or their cronies," he said in a phone interview Friday. </p><p>Abraham represents District 3, stretching from the south-central part of the city at U.S. 17-92 to the northwestern border along Interstate 4 and State Road 472. Only voters in that district can sign petitions and take part in any recall election, Rasch said. </p><p>He is working on forming a political-action committee to raise money, hiring an attorney (or finding one to work pro-bono) to guide him through the process and forming a recall committee: </p><p>Rasch and the committee must gather about 140 signatures on a petition stating the grounds for recalling Abraham &mdash; which, based on the City Council's censure, will be misfeasance, a legal act performed wrongfully. He will have 30 days from the first day the petition is circulated. The elections supervisor must then certify the signatures. </p><p>Then Abraham will be given an opportunity to respond. Once Abraham makes a written defense, it and the original petition must then be signed again, this time by about 210 voters in the district. </p><p>If that hurdle is cleared, there then must be an election asking voters whether or not Abraham should be removed from office. </p><p>Rasch said he expects the whole process to take approximately four months. </p><p>"Understandably," he said, "it's not easy." </p><p>But when asked if he's still determined to work through the challenging process, Rasch said: "Oh, yes." </p><p>Abraham believes the effort is a useless exercise bound for failure. </p><p>"I have more support (from constituents)," he said. "People greet me and say, 'Tom, we are with you.' " That's what I hear every day." </p><p>He said the controversy has taken a toll on him, estranging him from his family and causing him physical anguish and difficulty consuming food. But he said it is his duty to continue serving residents who elected him in 2011.</p>